Deteriorating Maypole to come down but will be replaced

MAYPOLE1

KITCHENER – Mother Nature and a small army of carpenter ants have conspired to cause irreparable damage to an Oktoberfest landmark.

As a result, the distinctive Maypole which stands outside Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest headquarters at Charles and Benton streets, is scheduled to come down on Wednesday.

Oktoberfest officials said in a press release that they plan to replace the pole, hopefully in time for May Day next year.

The current Maypole, standing 22 metres (72 feet) high, was raised in 1988 in memory of Fred Buttinger, a long-time Oktoberfest supporter. It sports crests from the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, and the crests and dancing figures representative of the five local traditional German clubs.

In the release, Oktoberfest President Vic Degutis said harsh winter weather and the ant infestation have caused the cedar Maypole to deteriorate much more quickly than its anticipated 35-year life expectancy.

According to the release, Maypoles originally represented the beginning of the harvest season in many Germanic countries, and celebrates May Day.